What foods increase hypertension?

This question has been posted in these health communities: Hypertension/High Blood Pressure

Q: What foods increase hypertension?

Are there any foods that should be avoided that may worsen high blood pressure? Similarly are there foods which help lower high blood pressure?

Nicole Senior (Dietitian, Nutritionist)
Health Professional

I'm an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist, consultant, author, speaker and food and health enthusiast. I love talking and writing about food and health. I ... View profile
Foods that worsen high blood blood pressure are salty foods, or those containing high levels of sodium. Foods that obviously taste salty like sauces, soups, bacon, deli meats, savoury snacks, pizza, fast food and cheese need to be limited but there is also lots of hidden salt in packaged foods you wouldn't expect like bread and breakfast cereals- read food labels to choose the lowest in sodium. A simple tip to save time is to look for packaged foods with the Heart Foundation Tick as they have lower sodium levels.
Foods we know help to lower blood pressure are vegetables and fruit - aim to eat 2 average size pieces of fruit and 5 handfuls of vegetables every day. Reduced fat milk and yoghurt also help, so aim to eat 2-3 serves a day (a serve is 250ml/1 cup milk; 200g yoghurt). Reply to this post | Report
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